Crossroads
by Precept
Summary: The war between the Autobots and Decepticons is quiet, for now, and Jack Darby wouldn't change anything. However, when Airachnid strikes out on her own in a brutal revenge attempt, Jack finds himself at a crossroads - and wanting nothing to do with the Autobots. (COMPLETE)
1. Chapter I: Jasper, Nevada

**Chapter I - Jasper, Nevada  
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Jackson Darby took the steps down from his high school two at a time.

Today was a good day - today was a day where Jack didn't immediately have to vanish off to work. Today was a day where Jack could forget everything for just one afternoon and go for a ride with his motorcycle.

The motorcycle (Jack still found it strange to consider her 'his' motorcycle, even if he liked the thought) sat in the parking lot, her black and blue paint job shining in the afternoon sun. With a little smile he remembered the old beat-up bicycle he used to take to school. Now he rode quite possibly the most beautiful motorcycle he had ever seen. She was like some cutting-edge prototype - all sleek lines and shining surfaces. She looked remarkably out of place in a town like Jasper, with its our brick buildings, its rural chic, its small town country values.

But Jasper, Nevada, despite everything, was home.

"Hey, 'cee."

A few classmates shot weird looks at Jack as they passed. They knew he talked to his motorcycle - word traveled fast in a small town like Jasper - and what was stranger was that it was almost like he expected it to reply.

Jack knew about this - everyone knew almost everything about everyone in Jasper - and tried to pay it no mind. How was it any different than someone who'd talk to their dog or their cat?

At least this motorcycle could speak his language. But she could do so much more - she could think, she could feel, she could laugh, she could be hurt - and not just physically. And she could fight. She called herself Arcee and she was an autonomous robotic organism from the planet Cybertron. It was easier just to call her an Autobot.

It was a good thing she was a fighter. The ancient enemies of the Autobots had followed them to Earth, intent on continuing an eons-old war without much concern for whoever got caught in the crossfire. The Decepticons, under the command of their ruthless leader Megatron, would not rest until they had crushed the Autobots. It was like being caught in the middle of some intergalactic grudge match. But Arcee was his partner - if sometimes grudgingly - and Jack knew that she would protect him until the Spark in her chest went dark and cold.

And so would the other Autobots. There was Bulkhead, the demolition worker who had re-purposed his skills into demolishing Decepticons. Bumblebee, the energetic youngster who wanted to prove himself despite a grievous injury. Ratchet, the gruff medic who cared about Earth and its inhabitants more than he would ever let on. And Optimus Prime, their noble leader, who carried the weight of the intergalactic war on his powerful shoulders.

But none of this entered his mind as Jack settled atop Arcee, placed his helmet upon his head, and turned the keys into the ignition. It was all for show, of course, Arcee could easily move under her own power, but disguise was vitally important to the Autobots' existence on Earth. Jack knew that there were people out there who would want to take advantage of the Autobots. That was why, apart from a select few, no one knew of the aliens from Cybertron or their secret war. Even the Decepticons maintained a veil of secrecy.

Arcee pulled out of the school parking lot, first at a leisurely pace, gradually accelerating as she slipped through the quiet streets, and then really opening the throttle as she hit the dusty outer roads of Jasper. The dry landscape flew past as Arcee blazed along at a terrific speed. Their destination was the secret Autobot base, hidden in an ancient nuclear missile silo on the outskirts of Jasper. The relic of one apocalyptic war had become the last, best hope for the the next. It was strange to Jack that he had started treating it like it was almost a second home.

Jack had started spending a lot of time there.

And why wouldn't he? His mom was barely around - too many late or long shifts at the local hospital - and his father? Well, the less said about him the better. School wasn't exactly great either - Jack had never really fit in and the schoolwork just dragged on. It's not as if he was ignoring his schoolwork or his responsibilities, like his job at Jasper's KO Burger joint, by going out for a drive like this but if he was going to study anyway, he might as well do it with Arcee, Optimus and Ratchet. Bumblebee and Bulkhead tended to be busy with their own charges.

The Autobot base was wholly unremarkable - at least from the outside. The hardened base had been built into a mesa outcropping, designed to withstand anything that the Cold War could have thrown at it. Now, the hardened nature of the base, combined with some of Ratchet's innovative genius, prevented even the Decepticons from being able to track its location. It was a hidden mountain fortress, a secret refuge for the Earth's first and best line of defense. A tunnel led Jack and Arcee down towards the heart of the facility and once the several meters thick blast door had slammed shut behind them, Arcee revealed her true form.

To anyone else, it would have seemed like the blue and black motorcycle had exploded and fallen to pieces, reduced to its component materials. And then every part of it began to shift and move and _transform._ Entropy began to resolve itself into order - every piece going exactly where it needed to - as arms, legs, a head with two electric-blue optics, in fact, an entire armored yet distinctly humanoid (and, to Jack's mind, distinctly feminine) form coalesced into being. The cybernetic lifeform idly stretched her neck joints to either side, rolled her shoulders, and smiled.

Arcee towered over him. Jack didn't even know how a motorcycle could become a fifteen-foot tall cybernetic alien commando, but he had just seen it happen, so, it was easy to accept. Still, it amazed him every single time. He pulled his helmet off, stuck it under one arm as he wiped his dark, sweat-matted bangs off his forehead. "Thanks for the ride, Arcee."

"Don't mention it, Jack."

Optimus, the noble leader, was off to one side, intently scrutinizing some sort of holographic map. Jack knew what was on it without having to look: Optimus was always monitoring for reports of Decepticon activity. Then, the moment he had received word of some incursion on Earth, Ratchet would activate the groundbridge and the Autobots would sally forth to defeat them. And they would prevail. Optimus was colossal, larger even than Arcee, with long powerful limbs, wide shoulders and chest plating that was reminiscent of the cabin and windshield of some powerful truck. His formidable physical strength was matched only by his strength of will, and his compassion.

Optimus glanced over ever so briefly. "How was school, Jack?"

"It was just school, Optimus," Jack replied. He shrugged, as if that would help demonstrate his muted feelings towards it. "I've got homework, so, I better get started on it."

Optimus nodded. "Perhaps you could ask Ratchet for assistance."

"Homework?" Ratchet peeked over from whatever technologically advanced machinery he was working on. He held what looked like a large arc welder in one armored hand. He scoffed, "That's nothing - let me know when you're working on a groundbreaking thesis on advanced quantum mechanics. _Then_ you can sound so morose." Ratchet's disguise was that of an ambulance. Jack didn't know if that was apt or not - sure, Ratchet was a medic, but his bedside manner could use some work - weren't doctors supposed to be kind and gentle?

Jack's mother certainly was. But she was a nurse, and she didn't always approve of Jack's relationship with the Autobots.

"It's just Pythagoras. I'll be fine."

"_My_ assistance? For Pythagoras' theorem? By the Allspark..."

Sometimes Jack thought that Optimus enjoyed winding Ratchet up like that. After all, everyone else did. The medic's gruff personality and rather obsessive tendencies could generally result in something amusing with the right provocation.

Jack didn't immediately catch sight of the two other Autobots and their charges. Arcee was remarkably efficient and Bumblebee and Bulkhead tended to take the 'scenic route' back to base. At least if Miko Nakadai and Rafael Esquivel had anything to say about it.

Bulkhead was almost as wide as he was tall, giving him an odd, almost round appearance. Jack knew that Miko loved taking advantage of his alternate form, that of a large off-roader four wheel drive. Bulkhead's frequently returned from long drives with Miko, his olive-green plating covered in dust and mud, one (or both of them, Jack was never sure) having decided to take some sort of impromptu wilderness expedition. The two of them were an incredible match, sharing an appreciation of loud music and louder antics.

Similarly, the two youngest members of the little family - Bumblebee and Rafael - had formed a tight partnership. Both of them, Cybertronian and human, were eager to demonstrate their maturity, their strength and their ability to assist the others. Bumblebee's bright yellow paintjob matched his exuberant personality and he treated the damage to his vocal processors like only the slightest inconvenience. Raf's enthusiasm was matched only by his keen intellect and sometimes Jack felt the faintest twinge of envy.

Jack thought that they should wait.

Jack never really felt youthful. He always felt like his responsibilities - to his mom, his school, his job - had forced him to grow up quickly. Because of that, he never felt as if he had belonged anywhere.

The Autobots, however, seemed to understand - Ratchet had once even compared him to Optimus! - with Arcee perhaps understanding most of all.

Arcee, in contrast to her compatriots, was remarkably lithe with a tongue that was as sharp as the curved blades hidden in her forearms. And she - unlike Bulk and Bee - hadn't immediately acclimatised to Jack. She had been cold, distant, and had regarded Jack as little more than a liability when fate had brought her to Jasper. Jack knew that it wasn't her fault. Arcee had suffered during the long war, she took every failure personally, and it had left scars beneath her living metal exterior. She had always been his protector despite it all but now they were friends, even partners, after Jack had struck a considerable blow against Arcee's personal nemesis.

It was strange, to Jack, that he only felt he had purpose when he was surrounded by alien robots from another planet. Weirder still that he was now concentrating on Pythagoras more than anything else.

Still, this was his life now, and Jackson Darby wouldn't change it for anything.


	2. Chapter II: Nightfall

**Chapter II -**** Nightfall**

"We can't afford to waste our energon reserves on such... frivolities!"

"What can I say?" Bulkhead held up his hands to try and placate Ratchet, shrugging his massive shoulders. "It was really fun."

"Fun?" Ratchet could only splutter and so he crossed his arms, almost glaring. "Oh, sure, but when your action circuits won't fire, don't come to me looking for energon! Then we'll see how 'fun' it is!"

"Probably not as fun as football!" Miko piped in, hurling the pigskin in Bulkhead's direction. The young Asian girl with bright pink highlights in her hair had a rather rampant sense of enthusiasm, always possessed by the urge to inflict it on those around her. The projectile bounced off Bulkhead's chassis and ricocheted away wildly. Ratchet made an odd little noise, like an exasperated sigh, and stomped away to find Optimus as Bulkhead chuckled and asked Miko to try again.

Jack wasn't interested in the impromptu football game - something about it seemed incredibly dangerous, especially considering Bulkhead's size and his, well, loose grip on agility. But where Jack only saw problems and the need to be careful, Miko saw only opportunity to get involved, frequently disregarding any sort of rhyme, reason or logic. Ratchet had one angrily said that they couldn't keep 'the humans' around, that they would just wind up going "Squish!" But there didn't seem to be any danger of that and Jack found himself wondering if Miko led a charmed life.

He certainly didn't.

So, Jack kept himself above it all, up on a raised platform. "Hey, 'cee?"

"Yes, Jack?" The response came from behind him. Arcee was never far away. And yet that never bothered Jack. When his mom was around, or always asking him how his day went and if everything was okay, Jack always got a little bit frustrated - even when he knew he shouldn't, because his mom loved him... she just cared a little too much. Arcee was always there, silently protecting.

Sometimes Jack wondered if that meant the same thing.

"What are you going to do? Y'know, when the war's over."

"When the war is over...?" Arcee let the question hang in the air, like she had never really considered it before. Perhaps she hadn't. Jack didn't even know how old Arcee was but the way Optimus and Ratchet talked about it, the war had been going on for a very long time. Eventually, Arcee shrugged. It was a peculiar little expression that she must have picked up from Jack.

"We can't go back to Cybertron. Even if it wasn't a dark energon tainted wasteland, the destruction of the Spacebridge means we're stuck on Earth."

"You've never told me what it's like, knowing that you can't go home."

Arcee shook her head. "Home isn't a place, Jack. It's wherever your spark takes you, and you find it with whoever you're with. Optimus once said that Earth is our home now." She fixed her blue optics on him and allowed herself a small smile. "I think he's right."

Jack suddenly found himself looking at his feet. They were dangling over the edge of a rather significant drop, but even it wasn't significant enough that it would bring any human to the height of Optimus Prime's optics. Jack was suddenly aware that he was busy counting his shoelaces, feeling stupid - but in a good way. It was how he felt when Sierra smiled at him at school, even if Sierra was kind of mean to him. So, he just sat there and enjoyed the silence. It was rare to see Arcee smile.

She frowned though, when Miko took a diving leap into the football and crashed into something that looked important. Luckily, Miko had a habit of bouncing back from any injury. So, the Japanese girl just picked herself up, brushed herself off, and hurled the ball back in Bulkhead's direction. "Go long, Bulk!"

Miko put all of her strength into the throw and the ball went long. Quite long. Long and high. It narrowly avoiding bouncing off Jack's head.

Jack flinched. He'd been lost in his thoughts and now his entire train of thought was gone and so was that nice feeling in his chest."Miko!"

"My bad," she called from below.

"Our bad," put in Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead," Arcee said, borrowing Miko's expression and Jack suddenly knew that Arcee had picked up the football. "Go long."

Even if Jack could tell that Arcee had tried to be gentle with it, she had put a lot of strength into the throw. Partially as a way to demonstrate her strength and partially as a way to make it clear to keep their game elsewhere.

"I've got it!" Bulkhead called out, stomping his way to try and intercept the football. It bounced off the wall, off the floor, and straight towards Bulkhead.

Unsurprisingly, the tiny projectile slipped through his fingers. "I don't got it!"

The leather-skin sailed overhead like a missile. There was a deafening crash from somewhere deeper within the base, and then a deafening exasperated cry from Ratchet: "Arcee! I needed that!"

She shared a little conspiratorial grin with Jack.

"Aw, scrap! I didn't realise how late it was! Mom's going to kill me!" Even if June Darby knew of Jack's otherworldly hobbies it didn't make him exempt from certain rules - such as being home fifteen minutes ago. A curfew was a curfew, no matter who his friends were.

"Let's not keep June waiting," Arcee remarked and leaped over the railing, landing in a low crouch and already shifting into her motorcycle form. Jack hurried down the steps, not that he was in _that_ much of a hurry to get home, but he just couldn't wait to go for a drive with her again. Jack put his helmet on, flipped the visor down. Everything else was already secure in his backpack, homework and all - Jack was nothing if not responsible.

The last thing Jack heard before Arcee gunned her engine was Prime's deep, fatherly voice, subtly hinting that the Autobot base was not the place for football.

Then they were on the road again, young and free. Jack and Arcee, human and Cybertronian, beneath a starlight sky.

* * *

><p>From the sky, the spider watched her prey fall deeper and deeper into her web.<p>

The spider felt no remorse, no guilt, no apprehension for what she was about to do. Some Decepticons might balk at unnecessary deaths, but not Airachnid. To Airachnid, there was only the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the chase, the exultation of extinguishing a Spark. Death was death. Death was Airachnid's handiwork and she was a master of the craft.

It was only too bad, Airachnid felt, that she wouldn't have the opportunity to disassemble Arcee. The Autobot had escaped her clutches on more than one occasion, even if she hadn't exactly escaped cleanly. Airachnid knew that she was stronger than Arcee, that she could easily overpower the little two-wheeler if she truly wanted to, even if coincidence seemed to have a frustrating habit of keeping Arcee's Spark firmly in her chest.

But after their last few encounters, Airachnid was no longer so sure of her superiority over Arcee. Their little duels had become more evenly matched, more strenuous on Airachnid's frame and it would not do to let Arcee gain the upper hand. That motorcycle had finally started playing to her strengths and Airachnid was quite aware that the blue Autobot's greatest strength was the purpose she gained from her partners - Tailgate, Cliffjumper and now that human boy, Jack.

Jack. Jack the human boy who had just enough annoying ingenuity in that flesh-brain of his to spark an energon relay in her spacecraft, blasting the whole thing into so much debris. Jack, who had forced her to lowering herself to ally - even just temporarily - with that fool Silas and his misbegotten gang. Jack, who had almost entombed her in cement. That partnership had thwarted her three times too many.

But Airachnid knew that, under the right circumstances, strengths could become weaknesses. The greater the strength, the greater the potential weakness. An experienced hunter, assassin and sadist, Airachnid was more than aware of how manipulating certain variables could guarantee a more favorable outcome. Striking at Jack would hurt Arcee far more than tearing out her spark chamber ever would. Hurting Arcee was one thing, breaking her was another... and far more appealing.

Still, she couldn't touch Jack without having to contend with a wrathful Arcee. The pair were virtually inseparable, something Airachnid found remarkably... _quaint_. But to hurt Jack was to hurt Arcee, and there were other ways - easier ways - of hurting the human.

Airachnid was used to hunting Autobots through Cybertronian labyrinths. Tracking a simple Earth sedan through empty streets was child's play.

And, so, Airachnid tracked her target from the skies. To an onlooker, it would have prompted rumors of black stealth helicopters around Jasper but it would never reveal her true nature. Once she was satisfied that there was no deviation in her target's plans, and that there would be no witnesses to complicate things, Airachnid slipped low to the ground and altered her form.

The helicopter split in two, roter blades becoming a set of thin, spider-like arms, and Airachnid was suddenly humanoid. Her demeanor was cold, cruel, even if a little grin quirked across her silver features - just that little bit of pleasure in a successful hunt. Here she would wait, until her target was right in her clutches. A demonic murderess crafted from obsidian and amethyst.

Airachnid knew the target's route well, she had staked it out for the previous week to make sure of it. Hidden by a rocky outcropping, there would be no way that her target would know she was there - until it was too late, of course.

She didn't have to wait long. The sedan turned the corner, on the home stretch. It would never make it home. Airachnid brought her leg back and almost-flippantly lashed her foot against the side of the automobile.

The sedan slewed heavily to one side, already out of control, sent into a spin by Airachnid's disinterested kick. Any danger of it flipping side over side and killing the sole occupant was put to rest as the vehicle slammed into a concrete barrier. Smoke was already pouring from somewhere inside the engine, oil had already begun to seep out across the asphalt.

Airachnid smiled. She crouched down, violet optics peeking inside the front half of the car. The driver was slumped over the steering wheel, quiet and still.

_Perfect._

By the time any emergency services arrived on scene, Airachnid was long gone, leaving little in her wake but dust and smoke.


	3. Chapter III: Midnight News

**Chapter III - Midnight News**

The dusty Nevadan world blurred past them, white lines streaking beneath them, as Jack and Arcee took a straightforward, direct trip back to Jasper.

Arcee wasn't given to theatrics. She would always put the objective first and then follow through with her iron will and unfazeable determination - in this case, the objective was getting Jack home, safe and sound, before June could ground him.

Still, sometimes Jack could convince her to bend her objectives 'just this once'. And Arcee would give an approximation of a shrug, a terse warning not to tell someone like Optimus or Ratchet and certainly not Miko, and then she would rev her engine and _really_ make the world blur. It was a ritual and both of them knew the parts they had to play. The Autobot would jink and juke like she was being pursued by rabid Decepticons, she would move herself in long slides and turns that no terrestrial motorcycle could ever hope to match, and Jack would hold on for dear life. But he was never truly worried.

He knew that Arcee would never let him fall.

And if those little diversions prevented Jack from getting home on time, if they led to them being greeted in the garage by June Darby with a stern expression on her face, the young man would just shrug and accept his punishment with a sheepish grin. He always knew he was breaking the rules.

This perplexed Arcee. She never understood the strict adherence to this rule, especially when June would never seem too annoyed with her son, almost like she had come to expect this sort of thing when Arcee was around and, so, Arcee had long since decided it was a little bit of familial theatrics.

Or maybe, just like any good parent, June could look the other way 'just this once'.

Tonight, however, they were making good time.

Jack felt Arcee begin to slow. A small set of emergency vehicles, sirens sounding and lights blazing, were approaching from behind and it wouldn't do any good to get Jack a speeding ticket. The vehicles - a police car and an ambulance - sped past the two of them and around a corner. Before long, they were out of sight.

"Wonder what that's about," Arcee mused.

"Don't know," Jack replied. Arcee could easily hear him, even about the high-pitched roar of her engine. "But I bet mom'll be working late now."

"Then it sounds like we don't need to bother with the curfew."

Jack shook his head. "No, Arcee. It's important. Mom says 'be home by this time', so, it's my responsibility to be home by this time."

A little chuckle - an unusual sound from Arcee's vocal processors - mingled with the sound of her engine. "You really do sound just like Optimus."

Jack felt a slight blush creep across his cheek. That was quite the compliment - comparing him to the legendary leader of the Autobots! Ratchet had said it once, sure, but it just felt better coming from his partner. "Sure, Arcee."

"I'm serious. Just don't start lecturing me about the wisdom of the Primes - it's not something I really need to hear in stereo."

Jack laughed, "Well, 'cee, in the beginning, there was Primus-"

Suddenly, Ratchet's gruff voice resounded in Jack's ear - his helmet had been fitted with a communications link to ensure contact with the rest of the Autobots.

"Arcee, prepare for emergency groundbridge at your co-ordinates!"

"Can it wait, Ratchet?" replied Arcee, her voice terse. It was just like Ratchet to call at the worst possible moment. "I'm approximately ten minutes from Jack's house. Just bridge me from there."

"It most certainly can not! This is a direct order from Optimus and Jack _must_ come with you!"

That seemed to stun Arcee. It was a very unsual request. "What's the sitrep, Ratchet? Decepticon sighting?"

"No," Ratchet replied, his voice grim. "Worse."

* * *

><p>Travelling via Autobot groundbridge always left Jack feeling rather disorientated - slipping through a warp in the fabric of space-time would do that to a person. One moment they were travelling down a dusty Nevadan road and then, suddenly, they had entered a blue-green vortex for the briefest of moments... and then Jack and Arcee were somewhere else.<p>

The groundbridge had brought them back to the Autobot base, which left Jack feeling somewhat confused. Miko and Raf were nowhere to be seen and neither were their guardians. Jack supposed that the two of them had been busy with the same mission that Arcee had just attempted to complete. Optimus knew the value of adhering to Earth rituals, protocols and social conventions, especially when his three charges were concerned.

So, why would they bring him back here? His mom was going to kill him!

By the sounds of it, a serious discussion was going on. A pair of voices were resounding near the communications hub of the Autobot base, located near enough to the groundbridge vortex generator that Jack could hear them immediately upon transit.

"Prime, I have to insist here, surely it's better if the news comes from me." That was Agent William Fowler, something of a liason between the Autobots and the United States government. What sort of news were they talking about?

Jack slipped off Arcee and heard her transform behind him. She followed behind him as he headed in the direction of the voices.

"Agent Fowler, I appreciate your concern, but I am Jack's guardian. I have earned his trust, and he has earned mine. This-" Optimus' voice was heavy in the air, "-is my responsibility."

Something began to feel very wrong, like a hole had opened in Jack's stomach. He suddenly felt cold. He'd heard discussions like this before - discussions his mom had sometimes had at the hospital, when a patient had died. Had someone died?

But why bring Jack along? Why was it so important that they had to tell him before he reached home?

And then Jack _knew_.

"What...?" asked Jack, slowly, as he swallowed to try and find some hidden reserve of strength within himself, some that hadn't vanished into that hole in his stomach. His head was already swimming and he desperately wanted to sit down. His hand reached out and found some strength in Arcee's shin plating. "What is your responsibility?"

Optimus was silent. Fowler's dark face disappeared from the monitor as the Autobot leader lowered his considerable frame down to Jack's level. His blue optics met Jack's confused, dark eyes and something flickered there for but a moment beneath Optimus' legendary composure - something that might have been sadness.

"Jack," intoned Optimus, "Something terrible has happened."


	4. Chapter IV: Frozen

**Chapter IV - Frozen**

"If it's all the same to you, Optimus, I'd like to go home."

It was the first thing that Jack had said since he had been informed of the news. When Optimus had told him what had happened to his mother - that she was in a critical condition in Jasper's hospital - Jack had gone silent and pale and sat himself down on the brown leather couch that he would usually occupy with Miko and a video game controller and said nothing.

When Bulkhead arrived, Miko in tow, Jack still said nothing. When Ratchet lamented that he would not be able to offer assistance and he would redouble his efforts on learning human anatomy, he said nothing. When Arcee stepped up and attempted to console him, he said nothing. It was only when Optimus stepped up, facial plating lined with concern, that Jack finally spoke up.

"Very well," Optimus intoned. "If that is your wish, we will respect it. Ratchet, prepare the groundbridge." The small frown that flickered across Optimus' face for the briefest of moments was the only indication of his disapproval.

Jack shook his head. "I'll walk", he declared. He was already moving towards the exit of the Autobat base, carrying himself with long, determined strides. Miko frowned - was Jack stubborn enough to walk all the way back to Jasper?

"Bulkhead!" she hissed, nudging the gigantic robot with her foot like he was some reluctant kid, "Go with!"

Bulkhead did not budge. "Miko..." he replied, "This is Jack's decision. We can't force him to stay. That's not our job."

"But he might get attacked by coyotes! Or wolves! Or- or 'cons!"

Optimus looked down at Miko, "If Jack wishes to proceed down a different path, to seperate his destiny from our own, then it is his right to choose. Self-determination is his right. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."

Arcee shook her head. It might not have strictly been Bulkhead's job to protect Jack but it was certainly her own. None of her partners had ever turned their back on the cause - not Tailgate, not Cliffjumper - and she wasn't about to let one start now, junior partner or not. With two strides, her tires were on the deck and she had rolled up to Jack in moments. She nudged him gently.

"Hop on," Arcee stated, her voice emitting from somewhere within the motorcycle's chassis. "We need to talk."

Jack had stopped mid-stride. His head lowered in a barely perceptible nod and he let out a long breath. Jack was tired, frustrated, grief-stricken - and Arcee wasn't about to let her partner leave when he wasn't thinking straight. "I appreciate the thought, Arcee, but I really just want to go home. I'm serious."

"Good. So am I."

* * *

><p>They drove back to Jack's house in silence. Jack said absolutely nothing. Neither did Arcee - she had always respected Jack's right to have his secrets. And, in that understanding way of his, Jack always knew not to pry too heavily in to her own life. Still, Arcee knew that Jack was troubled - more than he was letting on. Jack was personable. Jack was heroic. Jack was, all in all, a horrible liar.<p>

Despite their close partnership, Arcee knew she didn't understand Jack as well as she would have liked. She was Cybertronian and Jack was Human. That, in and of itself, put a substantial distance between them. That distance was never insurmountable, however, and they had always worked to put their unique perspectives together and come up with innovative and unique plans. It was one of Jack's ideas - foolish and reckless as it was - that had annihilated Airachnid's starship. And it was that idea that had let Arcee admit that, even grudgingly, he could make a good partner.

The distance had never been never insurmountable. But now, even with Jack sitting astride her, he still felt distant and far away.

So, Arcee said nothing.

It wasn't that Arcee was unfamiliar with loss and pain. She had lost two partners to the war - Tailgate and Cliffjumper. It was more that she had no idea how to voice her sympathies in a way that didn't sound trite - Arcee had never liked hollow platitudes. But everything she thought to say felt so similar to what she had already heard and, therefore, felt so inappropriate, even though she knew she truly meant it, deep down in her spark. She could stitch together a thousand different platitudes but not one of them felt like _him._

Arcee remained quiet as she pulled up inside Jack's garage and cut her engine. She felt Jack climb off and Arcee willed herself to transform once he was clear.

Her blue and black armored body took up a substantial amount of Jack's garage, even as she crouched as to not put herself through the roof.

The silence reminded Arcee of the frozen Antartic wasteland.

"Arcee," Jack finally said, after he had removed his helmet, "I don't want you to come and get me at school tomorrow. I'll walk."

Arcee felt her optics narrow, "You can't walk all the way to base, Jack."

"I'm not going to go to the base. I'm going to come home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. Right here. Like a normal person." Jack stressed the final two words.

Arcee frowned, "If that's your choice, Jack, then Optimus will make me accept it."

"Good. Because it is. I've made up my mind, Arcee. I'm not going back."

"If it were up to me, Jack, I'd drag you back there - kicking and screaming if I had to. You're my partner and you're making a big mistake."

"Yeah? Well, it's my mistake to make, then."

"The Decepticons will be back with or without our protection, Jack. You know that."

"I know that, do I?" Jack had suddenly become angry, spitting his words with uncustomary venom. Jack never got angry. He was a pillar of quiet, calm strength. To hear the venom in his voice... it almost stilled Arcee's spark. "What I know, Arcee, is that my mom is in hospital - that she might die! And not one of you were there to protect her, even though you all knew that they might target her!"

"That's unfair."

Jack nodded decisively. "You're right, it is. It_ is_ unfair. All I want is to be normal - I should never have let you drag me back to that base. I hate this, Arcee. I hate this war, I hate the Decepticons. I hate the fact that people compare me to Optimus - I'm not some great leader! I'm just a kid! I hate the fact that I've had to seriously fight to save my life before I've even finished high school!"

Jack was right. Arcee had to admit that. He would never have a normal life now, not until the Decepticons were defeated. He had been drawn in to an interstellar war, against his wishes, when he had first called her beautiful. And when he had tried to leave, Arcee had dragged him right back. More than anything else, Jack wanted to be normal, accepted, liked.

Maybe Jack could never be normal again, but she did like him. She accepted him. Couldn't he see that?

But Jack had turned and begun to walk away. It was the sheer venom in his words that was the worst of it. To Arcee, with the words still circling through her audio receptors, it almost felt like it would burn through her living metal battleplate and into her spark chamber.

Jack paused by the steps into his house proper, backlit so Arcee could barely glimpse the frown on his face. "And sometimes, Arcee..."

"...Sometimes I hate you too."


	5. Chapter V: Pursuit

**Chapter V - ****Pursuit**

Jackson Darby took the steps from his high school one at a time.

Today was a good day. It had been a long week, but now it was Friday. Now, with just one more shift at KO Burger to get out of the way, the weekend - and all its warm, inviting sun - was within Jack's grasp.

What would he do with his time? There were many things he used to do, but Jack pushed those memories from his mind. There were many things he should do, housework for one, homework for another, and he should visit his mom, even though she had remained unconscious in the week since the crash, but that wouldn't completely use up the two free days he had.

It had been a long time since Jack Darby had known this feeling of listlessness. He hadn't felt anything like this, not in months, not since that fateful afternoon where he had met-

Jack frowned. No, he wasn't going to think about her. He had gone the entire week without thinking about any of _them_.

Yes, he was going to have a perfectly normal weekend. A perfectly normal, regular weekend with normal, regular, boring problems. Jack would pull a few shifts at KO Burger and, for once, his most pressing obstacle would be inconsiderate customers as opposed to malevolent machines from another world. The worst thing he would have to dodge would be overtime shifts as opposed to laser blasts.

Hopefully, the normality of the coming weekend would offset some of the strangeness of the past week. It was odd - some days Jack thought he might have caught a glimpse of a green SUV or a yellow muscle car out in the parking lot, almost like they were watching him.

Some days he thought he saw a bright blue and black motorcycle.

He wished they would go away.

Miko bounded down the steps after him, like clockwork. She was about to ask him a question, the same question she had asked for every day of the past week. "You coming with us, Jack?"

"No," he replied, setting off down the footpath. "I'm going home. I've got work and then I've got homework."

"Aw, come on Jackie, just skip it," Miko pleaded, "Just _once_ this week."

"I can't, Miko. My mom's in hospital. I've got to keep everything under control at home. You know, be responsible."

"What about Arcee? I think she'd like to see you!"

Something flickered across Jack's face then and he took a deep breath. "Arcee's strong. She'll be fine. She's... lost partners before."

"Oh, so that makes it okay for you to put her through that sort of pain again?"

Jack stopped right in his tracks. "Miko, please don't make me think about it." For a moment, Jack's voice hitched in his throat.

Miko's voice softened, "Jack, just come with us."

"I can't. I've made up my mind. A man sticks by his decisions."

"Even when they're really dumb ones?"

Raf spoke up then, "No one's going to think less of you for coming back."

"It's not about that."

"Then what's it about?" asked Miko.

"Look, I'm not talking about it, okay? I'm going to put this all behind me and live a normal life. Maybe when my mom's out of hospital but..." Jack gave a helpless shrug, "I've got college to think about, things like that. Things that... well, they can't be a part of."

"And Arcee? Do you think she'll just put this behind her? She _misses_ you, Jack."

Jack turned his eyes to the green SUV and then to the yellow muscle car out in the parking lot. He'd been trying to avoid that particular argument, "You shouldn't keep them waiting."

Miko sighed. "You are so stubborn!" She let out a frustrated groan before turning to the youngest member of Team Prime, "Come on, Raf, maybe Jack'll stop being so much of a mope on Monday."

Jack ignored them as they left. He didn't give them a second look as Bulkhead and Bumblebee peeled out of the parking lot. He just shouldered his backpack, heavy with school books and assignments, and began the long trek home.

Soon, he'd need to get around to repairing his bicycle. That was one thing he had stopped doing, after all, there just hadn't been any need for it. But now? All he had now was his own two feet.

And the distance between home and school was much further than Jack remembered.

When he got home, he didn't begin his homework. For whatever reason, trigonometry and Pythagoras' theorem didn't seem to be as appealing as it had been just a week ago. Suddenly tired, Jack threw his backpack down, fell onto his bed, and thought of Arcee.

* * *

><p>Miko thought it was clear that Arcee was missing Jack. Sure, Arcee never actually said it, but it was just so clear to her. Why else would Arcee always be there - every afternoon, without fail - to welcome Bumblebee, Bulkhead, Raf and herself to base? Why else could Miko see the brief moment of disappointment that would always flicker across Arcee's cool demeanour and electric-blue optics?<p>

And, if that wasn't enough of a hint, the noise that would soon ring through the base - every evening, without fail - made it loud and clear. The harsh storm of metal on metal as Arcee proceeded to work out some of her frustrations on a set of practice drones certainly seemed to make up for Arcee's silence on the matter.

She had attempted to drill Bulkhead about it, of course, but Bulkhead just told her that he was staying out of it. "Miko, it's Jack's choice," he had said, in his gravely voice. "He'll come back when he's ready. He's a smart kid."

Miko had asked what seemed to be the obvious question, "But what if he doesn't come back?"

"Then he doesn't come back," Ratchet had stated bluntly, ending the discussion.

All in all, Miko had to admit that it really did nag at her. How come Jack just didn't come back? How come Arcee couldn't just say that she wanted him to? Why were the both of them so weird about it?

All she could do was wait. And Miko _hated_ waiting.

Miko let out a little sigh as Raf proceeded to win the third round of the video game she had been forced to busy herself with to try and take her mind off everything else. It wasn't that she hated video games, far from it, but Raf had an annoying habit. Raf would never just win, he would _dominate_. The kid just had a knack for technology. Jack was a better opponent, Jack was much easier to beat.

Brushing her pink fringe out of her eyes, Miko turned to watch the Autobots.

Optimus was saying: "We must not let our grief and rage blind us to the possibility of this being a Decepticon trap."

"A trap?" Arcee replied as she paced back and forth, clearly agitated: "The best way of dealing with a trap is springing it!"

"And yet, Arcee, that may exactly be what Megatron wants."

"Or maybe," Bulkhead put in, "Maybe the 'cons want us on the back foot, so we're too slow to respond when they launch an attack!"

"No," Ratchet said, over from one of his laboratory consoles. He wasn't staring at his console, but his head was bowed and his arms crossed across his chest plating. Ratchet was considering something. "This doesn't seem like Megatron's usual brand of malevolence. Megatron is ruthless, terribly so, but he only employs violence when he feels he has something to gain. There was nothing to gain from injuring Mrs Darby."

"So then, maybe it wasn't Megatron?" Bulkhead asked, "But who else could it be?"

Ratchet pondered. "Someone with a personal stake in injuring..." And then he trailed off, oddly. Ratchet never trailed off. Ratchet's confidence in his predictions, estimates and general knowledge bordered on megalomaniacal arrogance - something Miko had learned during the Jasper High science fair. Arcee noticed.

"Airachnid!" Arcee growled, "Of course! Scrap Megatron, all I want is Airachnid!"

Optimus, who had remained silent throughout their theorising, spoke up: "Arcee-"

"Who else would it be?" Arcee cut in, "She killed Tailgate to get to me and now she's hurt June to get to Jack! This is exactly how she acts, Optimus! We both know that!"

"Fine," replied Ratchet, exasperated, "So, Airachnid was behind it - but if we go off half-cocked, without a plan? That's just asking for something to go wrong. We have no idea where she is! And even if we were to locate her, we simply don't have the energon for any prolonged engagements!"

"Then don't come with me. I move faster on my own anyway. We both know that."

"Absolute foolishness!"

"Arcee, Ratchet." Optimus' quiet reprimand instantly silenced both of them. "This is not the time to argue. We must have clear heads and quiet sparks if we are to face the difficult task ahead."

"I'm not sitting here while you do nothing! I'm going to find Airachnid and I'm going to end her!"

"Arcee, wait!" Bulkhead called out, reaching out one of his large hands towards her... but Arcee had already launched into a run, into a forward roll, and into her motorcycle form. Tires screeching, Arcee streaked out of the Autobot base.

Miko watched Arcee go, along with Bulkhead, Ratchet and the others. Everyone had gone silent, leaving the noise of Arcee's engine to recede into the distance.

"Optimus," said Ratchet warningly, "She is making a mistake."

"We all make mistakes, old friend," Optimus replied, "And if Arcee is making one, then it is my hope that she will learn from it."


	6. Chapter VI: Into the Web

**Chapter VI - Into the Web**

Eventually, it occurred to Arcee that she was going around in circles. Jasper was not a big town.

It had taken a while, however, for Arcee to realise this. Initially Arcee didn't know where she was going when she left the Autobot base, nor did she care. The anger and frustration was unbearable, clenched around her spark chamber, feeling like it would burst from her headlights and incinerate the asphalt. She pushed her engine into the red-line, moving faster than any normal motorcycle could ever hope to match, as she tore through the Jasper outskirts.

She wanted to drive - she wanted to do something, anything, other than wait in the base and feel useless! If the others knew Airachnid as well as she did, they would have known they wouldn't need to go find her! She would come to them! Airachnid was sadistic, she lived for the chase, she practically fed on suffering and pain - like any predator, Airachnid liked to play with her food. Arcee could recognise the patterns of Airachnid's handiwork and so she knew that her nemesis would be watching them all, just under their notice, just so she could bask in her own malevolence.

So, Arcee drove. Her engine sang an angry, frenzied challenge into the air. If Airachnid was truly lurking in the skies or beneath the ground then she would know that Arcee was calling to her.

After all, she delighted in suffering.

It took two more laps of Jasper itself before Arcee picked up the tell-tale sounds of Airachnid's approach, the soft, subtle sounds of Airachnid's helicopter form - the almost silent rotor blades - just at the edge of her hearing. Arcee let her wheels take her further from Jasper, knowing that Airachnid had picked up the scent, and then willed herself to morph into her humanoid form. Here, in the barren, dusty land that made up Jasper's outskirts, there would no danger of her disguise being compromised. Arcee steeled herself and waited for Airachnid to answer her challenge.

She did not have to wait long.

Airachnid landed, transforming in mid-descent and throwing out a cloud of dust as she hit the ground. The moonlight glinted off her obsidian and purple metallic carapace. Airachnid rose from her kneeling position and grinned, making an obvious show of trying to look around Arcee - as if she was trying to catch a glimpse of something... or someone.

"Ah, hello Arcee. No Jack, I see. Is there something keeping him from your side? Perhaps some... trouble in his family?"

There was no banter, no taunts. Arcee's foot lashed out in a high, whirling kick and struck Airachnid on the side of her cranial chassis. Airachnid snarled and spun away, her multiple spider-arms creating a formidable barrier between herself and any further assault from Arcee.

"Oooh," murmured Airachnid, almost as if she was savouring Arcee's reaction, "It appears I have struck a sore spot." Airachnid smiled her killer-smile as her violet optics narrowed into cruel slits, "I'll ease your pain by ripping out your spark!"

They clashed again, Autobot and Decepticon, in a furious melee. Arcee's fists came out, hammering Airachnid's torso plating and then she darted away from Airachnid's retaliatory strike, leaving the Decepticon hissing in displeasure.

Arcee's quiet fury had only made her more dangerous. Airachnid would just have to turn it against her.

"Tell me, Arcee, what's it like without your third partner?"

Arcee snarled and swung her fist. Airachnid darted back and let her advance towards her.

"And this one - this one I didn't even have to kill to take from you!"

Another blue blur of a fist, but this one connected all wrong and barely even scuffed Airachnid's paint job. Airachnid smiled and goaded Arcee onward.

"You always have the worst choice in partners. Tailgate had an exquisite death - I doubt that little Jackson Darby will meet his end with such aplomb. I suppose I'll find out - when I tear his head from his fleshy neck!"

Arcee hesitated for one moment, and then her silver faceplates twisted in a furious snarl, like a lioness, and she flexed her arms. At Arcee's will, her forearm plates shifted and changed and transformed and extended a pair of sharp cutting weapons. She swung her arms high, intent on decapitating Airachnid in one deft strike. Airachnid battered her aside, planted a kick in the back of her knee joint, and let the Autobot hit the dirt.

"Such fire, Arcee. If only Jack shared your dedication - but I suppose he left of his own volition, didn't he?" Airachnid touched a clawed digit to her chin, violet optics narrowing in a cruel grin. "He gave up. He left you, abandoned and alone, because you are a failure, Arcee. I can feel that, wrapped around your spark. By my count, that's two partners you have been unable to protect now. But... maybe there's more? After all, I'm humble enough to admit that I can't be solely responsible for every loss you've suffered!"

Arcee hesitated as she rose - Airachnid could read the self-doubt all over her beautiful facial features. She had scarred them once and - at this rate - she would do so again. True, Arcee was a powerful combatant, more than a match for Airachnid. Still, Airachnid was no fool and she knew just where to hit Arcee to put the fight in her favour. In battle, Arcee was a furious whirlwind of destruction, letting her experience and natural agility guide her through whatever battlefield she might find. Arcee's natural, brash confidence gave her the ability to_ feel_ her way through combat more than_ think_ her way through it.

Her confidence was not unshakable, however. Once Arcee was thinking, once Arcee wasn't so sure of herself... that put the momentum back with Airachnid.

And that brief moment of hesitation had told Airachnid everything she wanted to know. She launched her counter-attack.

Airachnid's speed could match Arcee, and the extra spider-like limbs gave her an incredible advantage. Over half a dozen darting limbs struck at Arcee's chassis and the Autobot was suddenly on the back foot as Airachnid's limbs struck and tore at her plating, sparks flying, as she was forced to give up ground. Arcee brought her arms up to her head, letting her forearms and arm-blades take the worst of Airachnid's punishing blows and she tried to feel for the correct route to escape.

She couldn't find one - Airachnid's arms were everywhere. Before Arcee could slip away again, Airachnid's foot smashed Arcee's ankle joint and she almost casually slapped at the side of her cranial plating. Arcee dropped.

Bright blue energon was seeping out of some of the rents in Arcee's chassis - she didn't have to see it hissing into the dirt, the pain that wracked her was knowledge enough. Arcee pushed herself to her elbows and knees, just as Airachnid loomed over her - and brought her foot up.

Airachnid's heel, equipped with a piercing tip to rend Cybertronian living metal, punched through Arcee's back. Arcee grimaced as she fought down the urge to cry out. She wouldn't - couldn't - give Airachnid the satisfaction of hearing her scream.

Even when Airachnid twisted her heel, rupturing energon relays and tearing through delicate circuitry, Arcee bit down on her screams.

"Oh, Arcee, how I would love to end our little dance here," Airachnid crooned, "But... I think that, for the moment, I'll derive far more satisfaction from these simple facts - I beat you. Not only did I beat you, I took Jack from you. He will hate you forever because you failed him - and that is the sweetest revenge I could ever hope for.

"I will come for your spark, though, make no mistake. But, by the time I return, I'm sure you'll be begging for the end. I might even indulge you and make it quick and painless. Finally, after all these years, our little game has come to an end."

The pressure lifted and Arcee felt, rather than saw, Airachnid transforming behind her. The whirr of helicopter blades filled the air but they didn't drown out Airachnid's gloating voice.

"Be seeing you, Arcee."


	7. Chapter VII: Hour of the Wolf

**Chapter VII - Hour of the Wolf**

Arcee wasn't sure how long she lay there in the dirt, sucking in long, hard breaths to try and cool her rapidly red-lining systems. Her autonomous repair systems had managed to stem the flow of energon from the wounds that Airachnid had inflicted on her but, even with her opponent gone, with the danger passed, Arcee still couldn't will herself to rise.

Airachnid had beaten her.

But it wasn't just that. That hadn't even been Airachnid's goal, the beating was just to add insult to injury. The worst part of it was that Airachnid had taken Jack from her - she had absolutely succeeded in hitting her where it hurt. Airachnid might as well have just pierced her spark chamber then and there. It was only for her own sick sense of satisfaction that Airachnid had chosen to pummel Arcee's plating into so much scrap.

Only one thought ran circles through Arcee's head: _I have failed._

The loss of Tailgate, the loss of Cliffjumper... the loss of Jack. A string of failure after failure with a history reaching back across the universe to Cybertron itself. If she couldn't protect another Cybertronian from Airachnid, why did she ever think she could protect a human? The physical pain was second to the mental anguish that felt as if it was crushing her spark chamber.

Hubris. Pride. No matter her martial prowess, it was all just another weakness for Airachnid to exploit.

The stars glittered above her in the night sky, it had to be past midnight, but Arcee knew she couldn't return to base. Running off alone had been foolish but Arcee had had no idea what else to do. She had felt useless - a feeling that only magnified her anger. So, she had left. Now, with her plating beaten and her pride wounded, there was no way she could bring herself to face the others. Optimus would understand and would say nothing except, perhaps, a gentle reprimand - even Ratchet would probably hold his tongue - but the thought of acknowledging her failure, of how stupid she had been to charge off without thinking, was enough to freeze any thoughts of returning.

She couldn't go back without Airachnid.

But she couldn't stay here, either. Arcee couldn't risk being discovered by any curious humans who might wander out to investigate the strange sound of clashing metal. A quick systems check let Arcee know that she would be able to shift between modes, but that it would be painful.

Arcee pushed herself from the dirt, doing her best to ignore the pain that ran along her knee and ankle, doing her best to ignore the warnings that blazed to life on her HUD.

* * *

><p>Jack awoke with a start. It took him a few bleary moments to realise it wasn't morning. It took him another moment to realise what had woken him - someone was in his garage.<p>

Jack was out of bed in an instant. He hurriedly pulled on a t-shirt and snatched up an old baseball bat from the corner of his room. Just great, someone was trying to break into his house. Just the perfect way to cap off his Friday night. He had been working on fixing up his bicycle and had left it out in the open. It was a tempting target and if it was taken then he would_ really_ be scrapped.

Clutching the bat in both hands, Jack slipped down the hallway that led to the kitchen, through the living room, and set his hand on the doorknob that led to the garage. "Alright, whoever's in there," he called out, "You've got to the count of three to get out of there! One!"

No response and it suddenly occurred to Jack that maybe warning whoever was on the other side of the door wasn't the best of ideas. Either way, there was nothing he could do about it now. Steeling himself, Jack set his hand on the doorknob and began to turn it.

"Two!"

Jack gulped. He wondered if he could just let go of the door knob and walk away. It's just a bicycle, after all. It wasn't like it was the Key to Vector Sigma or the Autobot Matrix of Leadership or anything actually important. But still, it was_ his_ bike... and hadn't he faced down Vehicons and Insecticons, even been barely centremetres away from Megatron himself? Was he really frightened of some possible burglars?

Was it because Arcee wasn't here?

He turned the knob completely and threw the door open.

"Three!"

Something was moving on the far side of his garage, something blurry and indistinct. Jack's hands tightened on the baseball bat and he kept it up in front of him, ready to be used at a moment's notice. Jack knew that his eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness just yet but he wasn't going to let whoever had broken in know that.

Those blue lights they were carrying didn't make it easy on his eyes though.

Wait. Those lights reminded him of something. Jack's eyes widened as his brain kicked itself into gear, heightening his senses so he could pierce the gloom and see the culprit. It wasn't a thief at all. It was...

"Arcee?" Jack asked, the moment he recognised the shape crouched over in the corner of the garage. He lowered the baseball bat and let it drop from his hands as he reached over to palm the light switch.

He almost wished he hadn't - Arcee was injured and the extent of her injuries were readily apparent as the fluorescent garage lights flickered to life. Her bright blue plating had been ripped, torn and dented and Jack could easily see the tell-tale smears of energon over her plating.

The sight of it felt like made Jack's tongue swell up in his mouth and it took him a few tries to make it work as it should. He had never seen Arcee with this much damage, or in this much pain. He asked, dumbly, "Are you okay? ...Who? ...What?"

"Airachnid. It's not as bad as it looks," Arcee grunted and Jack knew instantly that she was lying, "But you gave me to the count of three. I'm going."

"Arcee, wait!"

"Jack, if you want to be normal, I can't hang around. I'm heading back to base. I shouldn't have come."

"But you did. Couldn't you make it back to base?"

"No."

"Well, couldn't Ratchet, you know, ground bridge out to you?"

Arcee didn't reply. She just slumped backwards.

"I wasn't ready to say goodbye."

Jack suddenly felt cold, like his vision had gone grey at the edges. "It wasn't going to be goodbye."

"It sure felt like it. You said-"

Jack interrupted Arcee before he could throw his words back in his face. "Arcee, I didn't mean what I said." He didn't want to hear those words again - _Sometimes, I hate you to_o. He heard them enough whenever it was quiet, when he had been trying to sleep. The word ran round and round inside his head. He didn't hate her. He could never hate her.

Arcee fixed him with a glare. "I don't like my partners saying things they don't mean, Jack."

"Well," Jack said, "I am only a junior partner." As much as she might have tried to suppress it, Jack could see a small smile flicker across Arcee's face.

"That might be something we'll have to work on." Arcee arced a curious browplate, "Speaking of that, I expect my partner to face down possible threats in more than their t-shirt and shorts."

The numbing cold and fear that he would never see Arcee again had given way to sudden heat, all across his face at that comment, and Jack realised he was blushing.

"Well, yeah," he replied, "But surely quick response time is invaluable, too."

Arcee made a small, satisfied sound, "Touché. There may just be hope for you... if I see you again."

Jack stood there for a few moments more. It was an odd sort of happiness he felt, even as he yawned. The adrenaline had worn off and Jack was beginning to feel drowsy, like he couldn't keep his eyes open. When he yawned again, Jack knew that he couldn't stay in the garage.

"It's the middle of the night... and I should sleep," Jack said, "You can stay here and rest up. I don't mind."

"Thanks, Jack. I'll be gone at sunrise."

"Yeah... I guess you will..." Jack murmured. He stepped up from the open doorway and stared back over his shoulder for just a moment more, almost as if he was fixing the vision of Arcee into his mind, before he flipped the lights off.

The door shut behind him. Suddenly, the room felt colder.


	8. Chapter VIII: Moments

**Chapter VIII - Moments**

_"I can't believe it! I'm actually on another planet! Arcee, this is incredible!"_

_"This isn't how I wanted you to see my home."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"We did everything to save Cybertron. But when the fog finally lifted... there wasn't much left to save."_

_"Mom, this is Arcee. Motorcycle, guardian, Autobot, friend."_

_"Uh, Jack? A lady's 'vital stats' are her own business."_

_"You're a motorcycle, Arcee. Shouldn't you know how to build a motorcycle engine?"_

_"You're a human, Jack. Can you build me a small intestine?"_

_"Hello, beautiful. Where have you been my entire life?"_

_"Come on, smooth operator..."_

_"I get it, the first rule of robot fight club is that you don't talk about robot fight club."_

_"You were pretty fearless there, Jack."_

_"Actually, I was terrified - for you."_

_"Jack, really, there are other motorcycles in the world."_

_"But you were my first."_

A sound broke Arcee out of her recharge cycle.

Many, many years of training had given Arcee the ability to online herself quietly and without sound. Awareness returned to her as her neural network brought itself to full power, however, Arcee left her optics offline, not content to give away the fact that she was conscious again. She remained on her side, knees curled up slightly towards her chest, where she had decided to get comfortable after Jack had gone to bed. If someone was sneaking around, they would have no way to figure out that she was awake.

There was someone in the garage with her, shuffling around. Whoever they were, they were close, and they were quiet. They were actively attempting to make as little noise as possible. They certainly weren't a Decepticon. The voice was murmuring something and it was a familiar tone and cadence to Arcee but, even this close, she was unable to place it.

She heard them drop something. A few somethings. There was more shuffling around and then they... yawned?

Was that... Jack?

Arcee kept her optics offline. Jack almost certainly thought she was still recharging and she suddenly knew that if she was to say anything, she would just embarrass him horribly. Even as she felt him reach out and place his hand in her own as he got comfortable, Arcee stayed still. It was an unfamiliar gesture to her - while she had attempted to learn some facets of human social interactions, much of it was still perplexing. It had never been Arcee's strong suite - even amongst Cybertronians, Arcee knew that some called her 'cool'.

And not in the sense that Miko might use the term.

Still, her mind returned to that hand. Wasn't that a sign of...

_...affection?_

Suddenly, Jack was talking:

"Arcee, look, I'm sorry for what I said. I don't hate you. I was just... angry and stupid. It's a human thing - we say stupid things and then wish we could take them back. And then I felt like I couldn't come back after what I said to you or, like, even if I did, you'd hate me because of that. I've tried to live this whole week without thinking about everything but there's not a day that goes by when I don't think about Optimus or Ratchet or... you."

Jack sighed. "I want to be normal, I want to have a normal life, but if it means not having you in it, then I'd rather stay with Decepticons and saving the world and following Miko off on whatever crazy idea she's had, even if it makes you mad as hell. I just wish I could say this to you when you're awake, you know? I'll never be normal, I mean, how many humans have ever been to Cybertron?"

Another yawn. Jack's words became slow and quiet. "My mom's going to get better whether or not I'm normal. I don't think she'd be happy if I pushed you and the others away because of it." Jack chuckled then, quietly, "And I don't think she'd be happy if she found out I was sleeping on the floor... in the garage... with you..."

Arcee just listened. When Jack had finished speaking, she listened to the tempo of his breathing, waiting for the quiet rhythm that heralded the certainty that he had slipped into a deep sleep. Only then, did Arcee bring her optics online.

Jack had set a mattress, pillow and woollen blanket down next to her. He lay there, asleep but facing her, curled up in a similar position to herself. His hand hadn't left her own. Arcee let it remain, the feeling of it making her spark brighten. Quietly, Arcee reached over and brushed some of his black hair out of his face with a finger.

"Thanks, partner."


	9. Chapter IX: Working Vacation

**Chapter IX - Working Vacation**

"Look, Miko, Bulkhead, thanks for agreeing to this."

Miko looked over, across the back seats of Bulkhead's SUV mode. That was the first thing, as quiet and short and understated as it was, that Jack had said beyond basic pleasantries since the hour-long drive had begun.

"Hey," said Bulkhead, whose deep voice filled the cabin from some unknown point, "No problem, Jack. It's the least we could do. It'll get your mind of everything that's happened."

"Yeah," Jack sighed, "I know. I'm just sorry for being such an idiot."

"Hey, Jackie," replied Bulkhead, "You're not an idiot. You're just a kid. We all make mistakes - some of them are really big, some of them not so big. Look, what I'm trying to say is that everyone's going to be happy to see you when we get back to base. Even Ratchet. Even Arcee."

"I hope so," Jack said, turning his attention to look back outside the window, at the Nevadan woodlands that heralded one of Jasper's camping grounds. They were up high, in the foothills, as Bulkhead navigated a dirt track that led higher still with practised ease. Jack knew that Miko would rather Bulkhead go faster, take the corners a bit more recklessly, but he also knew that Bulkhead was keeping everything quiet given current circumstances.

Miko, for her part, was confused and, when she was confused, it only served to increase her already rampant curiosity. This camping trip was Jack's idea, so, Miko had no idea why he was so morose about it. Sometimes Jack said that his little morose moments were a 'teenager thing', so, Miko just filed Jack's current demeanour under that category - along with how he had been acting since the news about his mother. Eventually, as Bulkhead turned another corner and onto the final stretch of road, Miko figured that Jack was, finally, going to return to his normal self.

But it didn't seem like it. He had sounded so excited when he had called her the day before. Now? Now it was like he was just grumpy.

"Just don't worry about that stuff now, Jack!" Miko said, "This camping trip is going to be great! We're going to have toasted 'smores, a campfire, ghost stories, more 'smores! It's going to be the best time ever!"

"Sure thing, Miko," Jack replied in a non-committal manner. "I just wonder if I should've invited Arcee. We could have talked. I... was kind of mean to her."

"Nah," replied Bulkhead, "This isn't her thing. Besides, she's been out of contact."

"But she's okay, right?"

"Don't know, Jack, I'm sorry. She's a tough 'bot, so, I'm sure she's fine. She'd contact us if she was in trouble."

Bulkhead pulled up at the campsite and opened his doors. Miko was out of the cabin in moments, while Jack was more languid in his movements. As soon as his feet were on the dirt again, he took a deep breath, brushed his dark bangs out of his eyes and wandered around to Bulkhead's back half to begin unloading the tent, sleeping bags and backpacks filled with everything they would need for a night of camping.

It was certainly a nice place, Jack had to admit. It was a picturesque clearing, thick trees to one side, cliff on the other which provided a magnificent view of the setting sun. Walking paths led off into the forest.

Still, something was bothering him. Everything was quiet. It was unusual, to say the least. Jack had thought that he would hear birds or other wildlife, but everything seemed like it was asleep - or far away from here. He thought of earthquakes, how he had been taught in school that some animals seemed to know when they were coming. Something was coming.

And it wasn't only Jack who felt it.

"Hold on," Bulkhead said, a warning tone in his voice. The green SUV suddenly shifted into Bulkhead's humanoid form, squat and wide, loaded with strength powerful enough to demolish buildings - or errant Decepticons. His posture was tense. "Something's wrong."

"What is it, Bulk?" Miko said, with more excitement than Jack thought was suitable.

"It's-"

Anything more that Bulkhead was going to say died in his vocal circuits as Jack felt the ground tremble at an approaching footstep, one of a second titanic presence. He heard the beginning of something - or someone - laughing. It was the laugh of a certain apex predator, one whose prey spanned a thousand worlds, one whose appetite for the hunt was insatiable. One who was finally close to their goal.

Jack felt his blood run cold. He knew who that was before he heard their harsh, mocking laughter.

Airachnid had found them.


	10. Chapter X: Showdown

**Chapter X - Showdown**

Airachnid, in all her unholy obsidian and amethyst glory, emerged from the woods. True to her namesake, the former Decepticon resembled a nightmarish centaur - her chest, head and arms sat stop the thorax and eight legs of a spider. Jack had seen her like this before and, despite how fragile she seemed on those thin legs, knew she could maneuver with a surprising amount of agility and speed. She'd have no problem in catching him.

But she couldn't catch two targets, and he knew why she was here. He was all that she wanted.

"Bulkhead," Jack shouted, "Get Miko out of here!"

"No, Jack!" Bulkhead yelled, "Not without you!"

"I'm who she wants! Run, trust me!"

Bulkhead seemed to hesitate. He muttered something that might have been a Cybertronian curse word before shifting back into his vehicle mode. The green SUV honked its horn for Miko to hop in. Jack wasn't sure if Miko had made her getaway because, at that moment, he turned on his heel and broke into a run.

Airachnid let Bulkhead and his charge go without so much as a second glance. Her violet optics, cruel and narrow, were set totally on Jack. She scuttled forwards on all eight legs, just a little bit faster than Jack's retreat. She would catch him but, in the mean time, she would have a bit of fun. The hunt was at its best when she gave her prey the illusion of hope. True satisfaction had been a distant memory and, now, once again, Airachnid could almost taste it.

Airachnid slammed one of her legs into the dirt, just in front of Jack, and scuttled around him to look into his eyes. Here it was. The end. Jack's end.

The little human stared at her, unafraid. It was a ridiculous notion, but so very human of him. His species never seemed to recognise the fact that, out there, in the universe, a lifeform had evolved that would surpass them. It was unfortunate, really, that they had been cursed with such an inefficient flesh-brain.

And that lifeform would savour every moment of her victory.

Airachnid loomed over Jack, a predatory smile splitting across her features. "I enjoyed my little showdown with Arcee, Jack. The pain you put her through made it all the sweeter, you practically did half my work for me. Thank you, truly, I'll ensure you have the most prominent place in my trophy rack!" One finger slipped under Jack's chin and forced his head up, to toy with him, to force him to realise one simple fact...

"Arcee was just too weak."

A voice rang out across the forest, "Who're you calling weak, 'con?"

Arcee strode out of the brush, tall and proud, like an Autobot avenging angel. Even damaged and injured as she was, still bearing the scars of Airachnid's earlier assault, Arcee was never more beautiful to Jack than she was in that moment.

At the sound of that challenge, Airachnid snarled. Her thorax shifted and became a pair of legs and she turned to face Arcee, drawing her hands away from Jack. The glower of victory on her facial plating had become a furious scowl.

"Well, isn't this just a pleasant reunion," Airachnid replied, her voice dripping with venomous scorn. "How nice of you to oblige me, Arcee, and to let Jack witness your end!"

"Don't count on it, Airachnid. Bring it on."

Airachnid hissed. Her spider-arms snapped up over her shoulders, ready to tear at Arcee once again. She charged.

Arcee was ready to meet her. The two Cybertronians clashed, locked in a furious melee, letting the forest fill with the sharp clangs and clashes of living metal on living metal. Jack caught a glimpse of Airachnid ducking under Arcee's arm, only for Arcee to slam her knee into Airachnid's chin. Airachnid's spider-limbs were slashing at Arcee but only drawing sparks. Arcee's fist came up, ready to put Airachnid into the dirt with a powerful hammer blow, but the spidery Decepticon rolled to the side before she leaped at the Autobot, pressing her next attack.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack spotted Miko clambering over a fallen log, mobile phone in hand. She was going for a photo. Had she persuaded Bulkhead to let her out? Or had she just never gotten in? Did it even matter?

"Miko!" Jack called, "Stay down!"

"Aw, but I want to get the front-row seat for this! This is like the sold out grudge match to end all grudge matches!"

It was. As Miko spoke, Jack spied Arcee as she wrenched Airachnid's arm up and behind her back, pressing her towards the ground. Her other arm came up and slammed against Airachnid's face again and again and again.

"That's for June! That's for Jack! And that one - that one is for me!"

With a furious yell, Arcee threw Airachnid aside. The black and purple Decepticon collapsed into a pile of tangled limbs and dented armor. Airachnid pushed herself to her feet and brushed some energon from her facial plating with the back of her hand.

"You- You-!" Airachnid's violet optics, wide and shocked, settled onto the bright fluid that was dripping from her hand, a snarl building in her throat. Her optics locked onto Arcee. "I am so close! Just die, Arcee! I will tear out your still-burning spark!"

Arcee was ready. In one fluid movement, she brought her arms up and they collapsed in on themselves, from hand to elbow, becoming a pair of silver energon blasters. The weapons hummed, azure energy gathering at their tips, as Arcee primed them and, a split second later, she opened fire.

Airachnid's advance stopped as Arcee rained down a furious fusillade of firepower, blazing away on full auto. Airachnid growled, snarled and screamed as Arcee's shots found their mark, blasting across her plating, damaging vital systems and knocking her back, towards the edge of the cliff. Several shots punched right through, sending glittering arcs of sparks into the air.

Too late, did Airachnid realise her plan.

Too late, did she attempt to push against Arcee's firepower and secure her footing.

Too late.

Airachnid was still snarling as she fell backwards over the cliff face, leaving a trail of smoke in her wake.

Only when Arcee heard Airachnid slam into the ground did she focus on breathing and start cooling her battered systems. She was on the verge of red-lining. Only then, with Airachnid dealt with, did she lower her arms and let them transform back to their humanoid form. She let out a long breath as her action circuits began to reset to their default state.

Behind her, she could hear Jack in a running approach. "Arcee! You did it!"

She felt Jack wrap his arms around her shin plating and she turned, kneeling to bring herself down to his level.

"Maybe so, partner, but it was your idea."

She extended her hand and let him take it in his own. There was something about the gesture that felt ridiculous in Arcee's mind but she was prepared to ignore that. It was ridiculous, but in the best possible way.

And if Bulkhead was watching, and if he said anything later, she'd kill him.

"I think a bit of a celebration is in order," Jack was saying.

Arcee nodded, "An oil bath would be just the thing right now."

"Or," Jack said. "How about you, me, and a bottle of motorcycle wax?"

In the light of the setting sun, Arcee allowed herself a rare chuckle. "You really are a smooth operator. I'll settle for that."


End file.
